Spotlight
by 7team7
Summary: "5, 6, 7, 8...up she goes...and now she's on the floor with the wind knocked out of her. He dropped her." or: sasusaku ballet au


**A/N: **and here we have another author has a specific hobby or interest and applies it to favorite ship

* * *

_5, 6, 7, 8_...up she goes...and now she's on the floor with the wind knocked out of her. He dropped her.

Uchiha Sasuke, ballet prodigy and newest addition to Konoha City Ballet's corps, had dropped his partner, Haruno Sakura. They were attempting a lift (the notoriously tricky arabesque press lift, to be exact) after having met exactly five days ago.

Well. Things were a bit more complicated than that, as they always seemed to be.

Sasuke remembered his early dance days in the bright and spacious studios of Konoha City Ballet Academy as rather idyllic. Ballet was his passion and he was ambitious, resulting in a rather intense approach to dancing, even at such a young age when most simply saw dance as a hobby.

He also remembered Sakura, the weak child placed in his class solely because they were the same age. She was smart and picked up choreography quickly, but the praises ended there. She lacked confidence and innate talent, besides exhibiting great strength and control in adage, but _whatever_, and Sasuke never expected her to continue with such a demanding art form.

But here they were, in Konoha's professional division, attempting a sad excuse for pas de deux in front of their artistic director, Kakashi.

"Sasuke," their exasperated director began, "why didn't you catch her?" Instead of bringing her down as soon as he felt her struggling, it seemed like he simply let her fall. (In reality, Sasuke knew the lift was doomed as soon as he picked her up and he was too stunned by the feeling of her slipping out of his hands to even move)

Before Sasuke could say anything, it seemed that Sakura had regained her breath at that moment.

"Yeah, you big jerk, what's your problem?" she wheezed, getting up on her feet.

Sasuke regarded her from the corner of his eye, then looked back at Kakashi, "she wasn't pressing down with her back leg enough and her core wasn't even engaged. Not my fault." A glance at the clock, "rehearsal is over anyway. I have a solo lesson next."

It just so happened that his solo lesson was with Kakashi in that very room. He looked at Sakura expectantly, clearly thinking she would make herself scarce.

"Well if you're practicing in here can't we just keep going? For, like, five minutes?"

Kakashi recognized the sparks of determination in his favorite student's eyes and decided to step in. "Sakura, I don't want you to overdo it. Why don't you go see Shizune to make sure you're not injured? I'll see you in a few hours for group rehearsal." And she was dismissed. At least Shizune, their in-house doctor, would treat her with a little more regard.

"How did she get in here?" Sasuke demanded as soon as Sakura closed the door behind her. Falling out of his hands aside, he really did not remember her being this good.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him, "she auditioned."

Sasuke didn't push it, not wanting to seem too interested in front of his teacher, but he was intrigued. He remembered her always lagging behind in class when they were kids, but after only a handful of classes together now, he noticed the careful power in her jumps, the absolute control in her turns. Her nimble feet were always pointed, her delicate head was always placed just so, and her petite hands showed nearly as much expression as her face. She was so small, yet managed to dance so _big_. Her presence was really something to be marvelled at.

Sasuke was normally hyper focused during class, but even as Kakashi coached him through barre and center, he couldn't help but think about this frustrating pink haired girl.

When Sasuke was 14 he left Konoha to go train at Oto Conservatory. He had conquered competitions and recitals with the academy were beginning to feel like a joke. Even his rival and idiot best friend, Naruto, went abroad for private coaching with the renowned, Jiraiya. Sakura had stayed and trained at the Konoha City Academy, but how had she gotten so good? It didn't make sense, everyone knew leaving your home studio to go train full time was the only way to succeed if you wanted to be serious about ballet. Sure, she trained privately with former artistic director Tsunade, but where were all these skills before? Hard work would only get you so far, right?

Her skill set aside, was her hair color even allowed? The corps de ballet was meant to look and move as one unit. Ballet was an art and each dancer brought something unique to the table, but variation was not allowed in the corps. This question was quickly answered in a company rehearsal the next day.

"Sakura, come stand in the center. Ah yes, that looks good. Your hair makes you fit well in this position. My eye just always wants to go to you."

"_Yeah, Kakashi, you and me both,"_ thought a disgruntled Sasuke. He was plagued by pink, pink, and more pink.

* * *

"I heard you had a slight mishap during rehearsal today. That's not like you, Sasuke."

Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes at his brother. Of course Kakashi told him about _the incident. _

"My partner isn't very useful. Nothing could be done."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at this, but chose to say nothing other than, "be more careful next time. I don't want you getting hurt either."

Sasuke shrugged and took his usual place at the barre before Itachi got class started.

Itachi was the one who initially got Sasuke interested in dance. He was a true prodigy; he advanced through all of his classes and quickly became a principal dancer at Konoha City. Sasuke had clear memories of sitting in the audience while his brother waltzed across the stage. He wanted to be just like his big brother.

Itachi's impressive talents made it all the more tragic when he sustained a back injury not too long after the start of what should have been a promising career. Since then, Itachi only took on roles that didn't aggravate his injuries. Partnering was out of the question as his back did not allow him to support another person. However, he came to realize how he actually preferred to teach or choreograph. And seeing Sasuke's whatever-Itachi-I'm-too-cool attitude every time he walked into the room would never get old. His dear brother was so amusing.

Before Itachi could even start the first counts of a _plie_, a tiny yet mighty tangle of pink burst through the door. Sakura, with her pink tights, pink leotard, pink ballet slippers, pink bag, pink hair, bowed deeply to the class, "I'm sorry I'm late!"

It's not like Sasuke was wondering where she was. Of course not.

Itachi smiled warmly at Sakura, "not a problem, we haven't even started. Your injury is not too serious, I hope?"

Sakura scuttled across the room searching for a spot at the barre and answered, "I'm fine! Shizune patched me up and it would take a lot more than _my partner dropping me _to break me!"

As soon as she finished throwing some major shade (someone had to say it), she noticed the only spot open was behind Sasuke. How convenient.

First of all, she wouldn't be able to see herself in the mirror behind him and his big head. Second of all, the only reason there was a spot there was because no one liked standing next to such a big grouch. Thirdly, he's so distracting because he's just so fluid and beautiful and wow, that artistry, don't get me started on his flawless technique-

While Sakura's brain lost itself in these thoughts, Sasuke reluctantly moved his water bottle over to make more space for her. Was she seeing this correctly? Did he drop her so badly it affected her vision?

Sasuke couldn't help it. He felt Itachi's gaze on him and he would be devastated if he disappointed his beloved brother.

And he felt bad. For some inexplicable reason the thought of hurting Sakura in any way did indeed tug at his heartstrings. But no one had to know that.

* * *

As the days went on and they rehearsed together more frequently, Sasuke found himself looking forward to spending time with the little ballerina. The comments she made under her breath were always bitingly witty and he could learn a lot from her technique.

Even during those awful morning open classes she brought great cheer to the room. She repeatedly stood next to him at the barre and eventually, he started taking up two spaces before she arrived just to ensure that no one would try to stand there. As soon as she walked into the studio he would subtly shift over so it didn't look like he was a big jerk hogging two spaces.

Itachi and Kakashi and even the normally oblivious Naruto would give him a knowing look, but he insisted it didn't mean anything. It was just _their spot._

* * *

Sakura hated falling. At her first recital she slipped on stage and the dancer next to her stepped on her hand before she could even get up. As a child, she already lacked confidence but the incident shook her so badly she considered quitting.

The first time she performed a solo at a competition, she slipped. Tsunade had trained her so intensely, she thought nothing could go wrong. But Sakura had grown up and she wasn't going to let her work go to waste. Thankfully, the solo was contemporary and Sakura acted like the fall was part of the choreography. She won first place in her age division for classical and contemporary.

When Sasuke dropped her, her brain wanted to shut down. Her crush on Sasuke was no secret. Every academy girl liked him, but Sakura had been in his class and trained with him before he left for Oto. She liked to think they were friends. She was worried partnering with him would be distracting, but she didn't train so hard for nothing. She just didn't anticipate falling. Was falling in love with the kid not enough?

* * *

It seemed like the ones who did have feelings for Sakura were the ones she would never go for. Before going abroad, Naruto, her very dear friend, confessed his feelings to her. Rejecting him was painful, but thankfully, he told her those feelings dissipated while he was away. She admired him as a dancer and cared for him deeply, but never more than that.

And then there was Rock Lee.

She had been walking down the hallway headed to her next rehearsal before he had intercepted her.

Lee originally took ballet classes at the academy too, but his severe lack of turn out made him a better fit for jazz and tap dancing where dancing in parallel was the norm. He became truly excellent thanks to his high energy and intensive training. He had been recruited by Konoha City to teach non ballet classes and offer physical training.

"Sakura, my beautiful flower! I am creating a new jazz piece today and you are my muse!"

Sakura started to laugh nervously when she noticed Sasuke come up behind her.

Lee continued, "please, put your fiery youth to good use in your ballet dancing! I will train with you if that is what you would like!"

Now, Sasuke was just as uncomfortable as Sakura.

"We have to go now."

Sasuke grabbed Sakura by the wrist and all but dragged her down the hall to their studio.

Now, Sakura was laughing freely.

* * *

Kakashi wasn't sure whether to be amused or frustrated seeing his two adorable students attempt pas de deux. He was most definitely concerned because Sasuke had just dropped Sakura again. Kakashi noticed the pained expression written across Sasuke's features throughout rehearsal as he lifted Sakura over and over again. He had flinched as soon as Sakura went up over his head for an angel lift, and Sakura came crashing down.

Rehearsal had gone surprisingly smoothly up until now.

This time, though, Sasuke held onto to Sakura as she came down and her weight toppled him to the ground.

Her bright green eyes held more shock than pain. This time, he had broken her fall.

Sasuke's dark, dark eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow.

"Sasuke? What happened? Are you okay? You caught me this time! Did you get hurt?"

"Sakura...you're heavy..."

Sakura squeaked then awkwardly clambered off of Sasuke. She really wasn't mad this time, just very, very embarrassed. Of course she would fall on top of him when rehearsal had gone just fine before.

Kakashi stepped in, "Sasuke, is something wrong? I noticed you straining in class. You dropped her because you flinched."

With Sakura's gentle yet firm hand guiding him, Sasuke sat up and grumbled something about maybe overdoing it in that morning's open class. With a frown Kakashi sent the pair to see Shizune. He needed his dancers in good condition and he couldn't stand being in the room with them any longer with all that _tension_.

* * *

Just their luck, Shizune was on her lunch break. Sasuke gritted his teeth as he hopped up onto the examination table. Pain flared through his entire body.

Sakura was flustered but otherwise uninjured. Hesitantly, she placed a comforting hand on Sasuke's shoulder and suggested, "why don't we do some stretching and massage while we wait for Shizune?"

The thought of being massaged by Sakura made Sasuke want to flee far, far away, but in the moment it seemed like nothing would be more painful than his injuries.

Reluctantly, Sasuke agreed and Sakura was extremely pleased. She quickly pulled a tennis ball out of her bag, "here, let me help you roll your muscles out before we start stretching. Tell me where it hurts."

Wordlessly he pointed to all the spots on his body that were giving him trouble. The combination of the stiff tennis ball and Sakura's warm hands relieved much of the tension.

"I think you just overdid it today. Remember to ice when you get home. I'm gonna massage a pressure point, tell me if it's too much." She prattled on about which muscles dancers commonly overworked, remedies she recommended, injuries that could end a career, and everything in between.

Sasuke nodded along until she started saying, "you should rest up tonight, too. I know you work hard but everyone needs a little break."

He snorted at this, "you're one to talk."

"What's that supposed to mean? I always follow my own advice!"

Sasuke turned to look at Sakura as she worked away on his shoulder, "you rehearse more than anyone in the entire company. We're not trainees anymore yet you take on multiple private lessons a week. You continue practicing by yourself when everyone else is ready to drop dead and head home. You cross train and take non ballet classes to round yourself out. You should be the one resting."

Sakura pressed harder into his muscles. Someone had noticed. _He _had noticed.

She spluttered but Sasuke held up his hand to stop her. "How do you know all this stuff anyway? Yeah they teach us about caring for ourselves, but not like this."

Her small shoulders raised in a shrug, "if I didn't become a trainee with Konoha City by the time I was 17 my back up plan was to become a physical therapist."

Back up plan? He eyed her, "what kind of person has a back up plan related to the medical field?"

"What? Is it so hard to believe that people do things other than dance?" she questioned defensively.

He shook his head but chose not to answer. He really did admire her. She just kept taking him by surprise.

* * *

After their second tumble, Sasuke didn't expect Kakashi to have any confidence in them. He figured they would be banished to the back of the corps forever. So when Kakashi gathered Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto for a pas de trois, all of them were surprised.

Kakashi smiled at their dumbfounded faces and explained, "I selected the three of you because I know you can work well together. Learn this pas de trois through this video. You'll notice a particularly handsome guy in the video, don't get too distracted. Have fun!" With that, he slipped out the door.

The video was from an old Konoha City performance and featured, you guessed it, Kakashi. The group was rounded out by fellow famed dancers Obito and Rin. They put on an incredible performance and the new group could see where Kakashi was going by choosing this piece for them, but it just didn't feel right.

Every time Naruto tried to partner with Sakura, Sasuke would step in with a, "put her down, loser, you'll drop her." Naruto didn't have to know about their previous _incidents_.

Sure, the three worked well together, but their powerful dancing coupled with killer presence threatened to overtake each others' dancing and resulted in an overwhelming performance. Anyone watching wouldn't know where to look and would very well have a heart attack. Ballet required more finesse. A more delicate approach would be more appropriate.

Kakashi had been watching through the window the entire time, feeling rather entertained by their attempts. He popped back into the studio, "that's enough for today. Naruto, you have a small group rehearsal next door. Sasuke and Sakura you have pas in here with me. You're dismissed."

Naruto shuffled out of the door, reluctant to leave the two he had gladly reconnected with since returning home from being abroad. He wouldn't give up, just the three of them would share the stage someday.

Kakashi knew corps wasn't right for the three. They were already too talented and the other dancers could hardly keep up. Promoting them when they were so young would cause controversy, but that didn't mean Kakashi couldn't give them more challenging and prominent roles. He had a plan.

But for now he had to focus on the two standing in front of them. They had all but ignored him as soon as he dismissed Naruto. Sasuke was trying a new lift, but you guessed it, he fumbled before Sakura had even gotten halfway off the floor.

But Sakura laughed it off and Sasuke apologized, promising to improve. No more blaming others for his mistakes, he needed to train harder so he would never let her down again. It also wouldn't hurt to be friendlier to Sakura.

To improve their chemistry on stage and stuff. Duh.

* * *

A week later Kakashi called Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke together for rehearsal again. "That last piece didn't quite work for you three, even an academy student could tell. I'm having Itachi choreograph something new for you. You'll still have parts with all three of you on stage, but I'm adjusting the typical pas de trois for a better fit. Naruto, I want you to take the solo. Sakura and Sasuke, you'll be doing a grand pas de deux, the ultimate expression of romance in ballet. Are you ready for this?"

While Naruto celebrated his first solo role as a professional, Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a look. Were they ready? Oh, please. If only Kakashi knew.

Sasuke had stuck to his resolution to treat Sakura with more regard and found he truly enjoyed her company. She was comfortable to be around and he could learn a lot from her dancing.

She also happened to make his heart pound harder than an intense round of grande allegro.

Sakura felt lighter than ever since Sasuke had turned his attention to her. Dancing was the closest thing she could get to flying and when she partnered with Sasuke, she was truly soaring.

Grand pas would be no sweat for the two of them.

* * *

After working with Itachi on their new piece, Sasuke realized how he could finally step out of his brother's shadow.

Itachi was a brilliant teacher and choreographer, but he was limited to dancing short solos due to his injury. He hadn't been able to partner in years, but Sasuke was becoming truly excellent in this area.

It helped that Sakura was his partner, but each day he felt more and more comfortable lifting her, guiding her, turning her. They worked on everything: flying fish dives, finger turns, press lifts, adage, you name it. If it meant he could improve as a dancer and work with Sakura, he was determined to prove himself as a capable partner. He would become a principal dancer like Itachi, but one with distinctive talents.

* * *

The opening night of their first principle role together had Sakura buzzing. For the first time, Kakashi had decided against a pas de trois and the main roles were given to Sasuke and Sakura. The venue was gorgeous and a huge audience would be watching. Standing in the wings with her hands resting on her stunning red tutu, any observer would think she had done this a million times. After hours and hours of rehearsal, she was more than prepared.

But Sasuke could read the slight tension in her shoulders, he knew she was worrying at her bottom lip without even seeing her face.

"Sakura," Sasuke breathed behind her as he placed a hand on the small of her back, "I've got you." Sakura simply glanced back at him and nodded once before she allowed him to lead her out on stage. A moment of eye contact was all they needed to communicate. It was time and they were ready.

The applause that erupted when Sasuke flawlessly lifted Sakura all across the stage filled both of them with great satisfaction and pride.

After running off into the wings once they successfully completed the entire ballet, Sakura threw her arms around Sasuke for a big hug. "Thank you," he whispered breathlessly. She embraced him more tightly.

During their final bow, the audience threw dozens upon dozens of roses onto the stage. The standing ovation and cries of "BRAVO!" were nearly deafening. Sasuke kept nudging Sakura forward to accept her praises. She deserved countless nights of this.

Whether she was dancing or bowing, she was truly in her element on stage.

She was dazzling, she was sparkling, she was shining. She was almost blinding, but he couldn't look away, not now, not ever.

* * *

**A/N:** hope you all enjoyed :~) I don't have a second chapter planned but this was super fun to write. thanks to my twitter friends for talking about this with me a few months ago, glad i could finally make it come to life. you should all check out the art of this made by my friend aliss/a_lisstairs on twt :)


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